TPA Rapid Rail Access: Supporting Rail Maintenance and Disciplines

02 Dec

TPA Rapid Rail Access upholds the stringent standards of quality and integrity that are essential for safety on the railways, providing temporary access for many disciplines undertaken on the surrounding infrastructure. Some of the most common areas of work include:

  • Electrification & overhead catenary maintenance
  • Railway bridge construction / demolition
  • Railway drainage
  • Track renewals & maintenance
  • Preventative maintenance procedures

Electrification: overhead power systems

To accommodate the maintenance of these power systems, TPA Rapid Rail provides Road Rail Access Points (RRAPs) to enable access / egress to the track for a range of Road Rail Vehicles (RRVs).

TPA’s Lightweight Foam RRAPs are particularly useful for overhead catenary works: they are highly portable and allow machines to immediately access the track and commence work as soon as the electricity supply is isolated. Likewise, when the project is complete, recovery of the RRAPs is a speedy process.

RRAPs are typically deployed for use with vehicles such as:

  • Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs)
  • Self-Propelled MEWPs
  • Truck Mounted MEWPs
  • Wiring Trucks and Carriers

Comprising two outer ramps and infills, the Lightweight Foam RRAP system can be manually handled by two people and is suitable for crossing rail tracks by wheeled RRVs up to a load bearing of 15 tonnes per axle.

Supporting long-term bridge construction and demolition projects

Engineered for long-term use is the Strail RRAP supplied by TPA Rapid Rail Access. Manufactured from high-durability materials, they promote long life, noise reduction and resistance to wear and tear. They are certified for use on live tracks over the entire duration of a project, facilitating vehicular access while retaining a normal train service.

Enabling fast and effective drainage works

Effective track and trackside drainage is essential for safety throughout the rail network. TPA supply access solutions for RRVs so that drainage activities can be performed quickly and easily. TPA’s TAMS V-Ram Temporary RRAP can be installed by hand in as little as 10 minutes and support wheeled plant weighing up to 50t. Read more about the TAMS V-Ram here and see how TPA worked with Andy Cockburn, Operations Manager at ‘Story Plant’.

Andy comments:

“There are never any complaints with TPA products and service. We have a very good relationship with them, and although there other suppliers with the same equipment, we see no reason to change this. TPA always supply what we ask for, when we ask for it.”

The UTAS - Universal Track Access System totally encloses the rail head giving ultimate protection for the rail head, sleepers and vehicles. Specialist contractor SES put UTAS to the test on a complex project in Stirling, click here to get the full story.

A comprehensive range of services tailored for you

Why not Contact the team at TPA for more details on our wider range of services, including the recently introduced Station Works Portfolio, a central hub which offers a one-stop-shop of site access and safety products for railway station contractors.